UK UK - Charlene Downes, 14, Blackpool England, Nov 2003

[RobinCAL]

Mum of Charlene Downes welcomes grooming inquiry plan

Police believe Charlene was one of a number of girls who were sexually exploited in Blackpool.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[mrC]

the police were planing to cut Charlene's care should they find her so they must of been fully aware what was going on the house

 

[AllthewaytotheFBI]

This is dreadful but I think she was disposed of in an industrial wastebin. Not necessarily one in the alley. I think it was emptied and she’s in landfill now. Just incredibly lucky on behalf of the perpetrator.

I take some comfort that she is returning gently to the Earth. Poor Charlene.

 

[Sillybilly]

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[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1983742891605250157

 

[MelmothTheLost]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1983742891605250157

Interesting. This is not a case I'm very familiar with but the folkloric element is fascinating. The whole "ended up in processed food for human consumption" trope is based on the fictional character of Sweeney Todd, the barber who killed some of his clients and had their bodies used by his accomplice Mrs Lovett in her famous (supposed) veal and ham pies. Sweeney first appears in a story set c1785 and published in the 1840s in weekly parts in a popular newspaper which was later republished in book form as "The String of Pearls" if anyone wants to read the original as a Halloween treat.

The String of Pearls - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The String of Pearls - Wikisource, the free online library

en.wikisource.org

 

[Earth]

Interesting. This is not a case I'm very familiar with but the folkloric element is fascinating. The whole "ended up in processed food for human consumption" trope is based on the fictional character of Sweeney Todd, the barber who killed some of his clients and had their bodies used by his accomplice Mrs Lovett in her famous (supposed) veal and ham pies. Sweeney first appears in a story set c1785 and published in the 1840s in weekly parts in a popular newspaper which was later republished in book form as "The String of Pearls" if anyone wants to read the original as a Halloween treat.

The String of Pearls - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The String of Pearls - Wikisource, the free online library

en.wikisource.org

Well, the rumour may have been believable because the men would have had the right weapons to dispose of a body. Whoever killed Charlene, those men were definitely suspicious since they were grown men hanging around a teenage girl.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1984058594422034548

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Well, the rumour may have been believable because the men would have had the right weapons to dispose of a body. Whoever killed Charlene, those men were definitely suspicious since they were grown men hanging around a teenage girl.

It's more complex than that. In the past 50 or 60 years or so, this urban myth has re-emerged in the UK specifically attached to takeaways and restaurants for ethnic food so there's an element of racism involved. Originally, it was attached to Chinese outlets - perhaps on the assumption that "the Chinese will eat anything". The nearest Chinese takeaway to where I grew up as a child had the rumour attached to it because a delivery man had supposedly seen a dead badger on a table in the kitchen - cue lots of jokes locally about "sweet and sour badger".

The situation around "Indian" restaurants (in practice mostly owned/run by Bangladeshis and Pakistanis) and takeaways seems to be more recent. It seems to be tied up to some extent with the increase in the amount of sheep stealing and in-field butchering in recent decades, ie unauthorised meat entering the food chain by the (literal) back door. The link between such takeaways and the organised sexual abuse of young girls is even newer and is just emerging into general public awareness.

 

[ISarahlouise]

My issue with the grooming gang theory is that any “evidence” we have for them doing it, can be applied to most other men in her life. She was just surrounded by paedophiles and enablers. What motive would Albattikhi have for murdering Charlene? Well it would be that she threatened to tell someone.

Except that she had reportedly already done that with friends of her parents and those were the types of men she was reportedly in contact with on the night of her disappearance. Just seems unlikely the men accused did it. And the kebab meat story is just grotesque, i know they got it from a recording but it’s just completely clouded the case. That doesn’t negate the fact that they are creeps and predators though.

 

[mrC]

the last personto see her alive was her sister i belive and her relashenship with her sisters was not good

 

[Mrs Marple]

Anyone listening to the new podcast?

Nothing new yet.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1988865004167217549

 

[mrC]

the guys abused her in her home and she made a compliant about it but the police dont seem to have followed this up at the time that guy should of been the numder 1 suspect from day 1 but he doesnt seem to have been high on there list at the time